There are basically three types of hearing loss: sensorineural hearing loss conductive bearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by the nerve damage in the inner ear and is the most common cause of hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss is typically caused by damage to the inner hair cells by loud noises and/or ageing. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the ear's ability to conduct sounds to the auditory nerve is impaired. This kind of hearing loss can occur in any part of the ear, although it is most common in the outer ear or the middle ear. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Minor hearing loss can be improved with traditional “air conduction” hearing aids, but becomes less beneficial for medium hearing loss. Bone conduction hearing aids can be useful for individuals with medium to severe loss. Persons with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears are candidates for cochlear implants. Some bone conduction hearing aids require surgery and others do not. For example, cochlear implants require a more complex surgical procedure than a bone conductive procedure.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
PAT NO.INVENTORISSUED4,612,915HoughSep. 23, 19866,643,378SchumaierNov. 4, 20036,940,989ShennibSep. 20052010/0222639Purcell et alPub. Sep. 2, 2010
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,915 discloses a surgically implanted direct bone conduction hearing aid, that provides a remote electronic processor with output transmitters that make contact through the patient's skin with the implant. The processor is connected to the transmitters with wires similar to music earphone speakers. There are always risk involved with any surgical procedure and it naturally, adds cost to the hearing aids. Bone conductive hearing aids can be provided without surgery with equal results.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,378 discloses a bone conduction hearing aid that does not require surgery. It is an in the ear hearing aid that provides an ultrasonic cylindrical shape transducer as the vibrator. The vibrator is encased within a hard plastic which transfers the vibrations to the mastoid bone. A more efficient material would be a heavy filled epoxy. The reason for the apparent concern for undesirable feedback is that the, all-in-one in-the-ear package provides the feedback path from the vibrator to the microphone. For that reason most designs include acoustic insulation around the microphone. As there should be only vibration and no air audio, the insulation should be to prevent vibration. The hearing aid is directed, primarily toward patients with loss in only one ear.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,940,989 discloses a conventional hearing devices having an the canal component, the hearing device of the present invention odes not occlude the ear canal nor does it interrupt the ossicular chain. In other words, the present invention does not interfere with a recipient's remaining natural hearing nor the normal biological functioning of the ear.
The 2010/0222639 publication is a self-retaining bone conduction hearing device having a vibrating component responsive to the sound processor and configured of non-surgical-implantation in a recipient's ear canal. Utilizing bone conduction eliminates the dependency acoustic stimulation, thereby enabling the hearing device of the invention to address a wider range of sound frequencies in conductive hearing loss. Unlike conventional hearing devices having an in the-canal component, the hearing device of the present invention does not occlude the ear canal nor does it interrupt the ossicular chain. In other words, the present invention does not interfere with a recipient's remaining natural hearing or the normal biological functioning of the ear.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
PAT NO.INVENTORISSUED5,447,489IssaieneSep. 5, 19956,041,129AdelmanMar. 21, 20006,175,596FretzAug. 14, 20012007/0041595GarazoFeb. 22, 20072009/0259090ParkerOct. 15, 2009